CHAPTER XI. WAGTAILS 



FAM. MOTACILLTD^E 



CHARS. Primaries only nine (the short or spurious first 

 primary found in all the birds of foregoing families excepting 

 Eremopliila remaining undeveloped), the first nearly or about 

 as long as the next, and the point of the wing formed by the 

 first three, four, or five quills, which are abruptly longer than 

 the succeeding ones; iuner secondaries enlarged, lengthened, 

 and flowing, the longest one usually about equaling the first 

 primary when the wing is closed. (This construction of the 

 wing is a prime characteristic of the family.) Tail of variable, 

 but always conspicuous, length, o'f different shapes in the sev- 

 eral genera, but usually double-rounded, i. e., central and 

 external pairs of feathers both shorter than intermediate ones ; 

 in life held tilted up, or vibrated up and down with a peculiar 

 see-saw motion (a characteristic habit of birds of this family, 

 whence comes the name Wagtail Mota cilia Seur-oupa). Feet 

 large, in adaptation to terrestrial habits; progression ainbula- 

 torial, not sal tutorial ; tarsus slender, lengthened, equaling or 

 exceeding the middle toe in length, of ordinary oscine charac- 

 ters as to scutellation ; inner toe cleft to the very base, outer 

 adherent to middle by its basal joint only. Hind claw length- 

 ened and straightened in most of the genera (not in Motacilla 

 itself). Bill shorter than the head, very slender, straight, 

 acute, usually notched near the tip, not furnished with 

 obvious rictal vibrissa3, though feathers about its base are 

 bristle-tipped. Nostrils patent, in slight fossae. 



This is a pretty well marked family, easily distinguished 

 from any of the foregoing by the development of only nine 

 primaries, and from the following 9-primaried Oscines by the 

 particular shape of the wing, in connection with ambulatorial 

 feet and slender, strictly "insectivorous" or " dentirostral' 7 

 bill. The birds may be considered Sylvians modified for terres- 

 trial habits. The family is characteristic of the Old World, 

 being poorly represented in the New, where only some eight or 

 ten of the about one hundred accredited species occur. There 



